The assignee of the Applicant had previously filed for and obtained, a Registered Canadian Industrial Design Serial Number 55,266, issued Nov. 19, 1985. The said design, now lapsed to the public domain, illustrates a utility rack made from wood, and when assembled providing a base member normally fasten to a substrate, a top member fasten to the base member and a glove supporting member extending in the same direction as the top member for hanging baseball gloves, hockey gloves, or the like. The top member included a U-shaped channel for holding the handle end of a baseball bat, and a recess within which a baseball or a hockey puck or the like might be retained. This utility rack was mounted for example, in the room of a user, and used for its functional purpose of suspending sports equipment, in a simple manner.
It is also known to provide display devices for collectable cards, such as baseball or hockey cards, which typically are in album form, or if desired, a valuable card may be sealed in a plastic jacket and framed for display purposes.
Heretofore is also known to provide trophies including statues for participants of little league baseball, hockey or the like. These statues are normally mounted on a base and carry an engraved message on the base, indicating the type of award.
Nowhere within the prior art is there provided a utility rack which may be awarded to a member of the baseball team or hockey team, which includes the provision of a statue and in a preferred embodiment an award plaque, thereby providing both utilitarian and emotional value to the recipient.
Further, it is often the case that such previously mentioned awards or sports storage items may contain the logo of a favorite team. However once such a logo is formed or placed on an article the logo becomes fixed in relation to the article.
Nowhere within the prior art is there found a utility rack for storing sports equipment that also enhances the value thereof, by adding the emotional pleasure of also serving as an award, or mile stone recognition and complementary thereto includes means for temporarily storing a sports fans favorite playing card, athletes picture, logo or the like.
It is therefore a primary object of the invention to provide a combination utility sports rack and award.
It is yet a further object of the invention to provide a combination utility sports rack, and display device.
It is yet a further object of the invention to provide a combination of a utility sports rack, award, and display device.
Further another object of the invention will become apparent to a man skilled in the art when considering the following summary of the invention in the more detailed description of the preferred embodiments illustrated herein.